Knowing where your Search Ads show up in the search results is important because you want to make sure your ads are in a position to be seen and clicked on. The closer your ad shows to the top the better because this will increase the chances of people seeing and then clicking on your ads. Up until recently, Google was using a metric called Average position to explain where your ad was showing up. This metric compared your ad position to your competitors using a ranking system. For example, an average position of 1 meant that your ad showed above competitors. However, this does not tell you where at on the page your ad was shown. Another limitation of average position is that it can be misleading and can cause people to believe their ad is performing better than it actually is. For example, your ad could be shown in the 2nd position with one search, 3rd in a second search, and 7th in a third search. However, from these searches, your average position would be 4. Google has now introduced four new metrics that give clients a better idea of where their ad is showing on the page.
Search Absolute Top Impression Rate or Impr. (Abs. Top) %
This metric is calculated by your ad’s impressions on the absolute top of the page (the very first position on the top of the first page), divided by the total impressions received. This will show you the percentage rate that your ad showed up in the first position on the first page.
Search Top Impression Rate or Impr. (Top) %
This metric is calculated by your ad’s impressions on the top of the page (any position above the organic results), divided by the total impressions received. This metric will show you the percentage rate that your ad showed up in any of the ad positions above the organic search results.
Search (Abs. Top) IS
This metric is calculated by your impressions on the absolute top of the page (the very first position on the top of the first page), divided by the possible impressions that your ad could have received. This metric will show you the rate of how many opportunities you are turning into impressions in the absolute top position.
Search (Top) IS
This metric is calculated by your impressions on the top of the page (any position above the organic results), divided by the possible impressions that your ad could have received. This will show the rate of how many opportunities you are turning into impressions in any of the top positions.
These new metrics help fill in the gaps that were missing when using average position. Clients will now be able to tell how often their ad is showing up above organic results, as well as how often the ad is shown in the first position. These metrics give a more precise picture of where ads are showing up, allowing advertisers to make better decisions that will improve the placement of ads. As a current client, you will see these replace the average position on your reports. If you aren’t a current client and want more information about search advertising, contact us and we will help you create a search campaign customized to fit your business needs.